


Five Times Makino's Secret Technique Worked and One Time it Didn't

by sungazer_117



Series: A Kiss for Every Occasion [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Young ASL
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungazer_117/pseuds/sungazer_117
Summary: Luffy knows next to nothing about first-aid, except one thing the best bartender in Foosha village taught him.
Series: A Kiss for Every Occasion [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932424
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	Five Times Makino's Secret Technique Worked and One Time it Didn't

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own One Piece. Credit goes to the creator Eiichiro Oda.

Luffy couldn’t remember the last time he had taken care of someone who was sick. All his life he had rarely come down with anything more volatile than the odd sneezing fit. Ace and Sabo never got sick either, but there were plenty of occasions where they would come back from a hunt or their daily sparring sessions with a few lumps and cuts.

He could accurately slap on a bandage most of the time and often ended up looking like a mummy when trying to wrap up minor wounds, but this was worse than that. Nami was sick-sick. None of them knew how to help her, not even Vivi, though she tried her hardest to make sure their Navigator was comfortable.

It was hard for Luffy as a Captain, to see his nakama suffering and be unable to do anything about it. He could fight off monsters for them, Ace and Sabo had done the same for him growing up. He could mend their broken hearts little by little with his smiles and laughter. He could even protect them from themselves; their doubts, their fears, everything that kept his friends from sleeping in the middle of the night.

This sickness was not something Luffy could fight with his fists. Instead, all he could do was watch over Nami until they could find a proper doctor. There was one other thing he tried, however, something that he learned from Makino on one of the rare occasions he was able to visit Foosha Village. She had taught all three of them after one especially eventful hunting trip that left the three of them aching and a little more roughed up than normal.

For some reason Ace and Sabo were embarrassed about it at first while Luffy eagerly adopted the lessons. Eventually it became normal for the older boys and they followed Luffy’s lead. Thus, Makino’s secret technique was always the last one performed after fixing any of the brothers’ injuries. If the wound was especially bad, sometimes the technique would be performed twice, once by each brother not being treated at that moment. They always recovered in the end, so Luffy wholeheartedly believed in the healing powers he had been taught.

The Captain sat alone with his Navigator in her cabin. Everyone else was out on deck or sleeping early so they could actually wake up for the night shifts. They had increased the number of people on watch from one to two at nights while they were being hunted by Baroque Works. During the day, everybody was technically on watch, even if they weren’t sitting up in the crow’s nest.

Luffy stood up from his chair at her side and shifted to the edge of the bed, placing one of his hands beside her head to brace himself with so he didn’t fall right on top of her. Luffy brushed back her damp bangs and gently lifted the towel that was trying to keep her cool before leaning in and pressing soft lips to her forehead. He pulled back after a beat, replacing the towel and feeling a bit more at ease about everything.

“You’ll be better before you know it, Nami!” he chirped with every intention of doing whatever it took to make it so. With a sigh, he plopped back in his chair and started thinking of other ways to cheer her up now that he had given her one of Makino’s signature “get-well kisses”. It wouldn’t work as well since she hadn’t been treated properly yet but it would help her hold on until then, he was sure of it. Luffy looked around the room for some props that she would laugh at and spotted a permanent marker sitting on a nearby desk. Giggling to himself, he raced over to the mirror and started drawing on his own face, confident that he was going to wake Nami up and see her smile.

Zoro would be down soon for his turn to watch over her but until then he would do his best. Luffy snickered quietly to himself, proud of his plan and sure that it would work. What was funnier than a rubber man’s stretchy face with the word “meat” written all over it?

The next time Luffy found himself helpless to do anything but watch his friends in pain was after the excitement at Thriller Bark. Their party was rocking into full swing, but there was one pirate who was unable to enjoy the festivities. Luffy himself was feeling lighter than air, which didn’t make sense, but he chalked it up to the strange mystery effects of having so many shadows trapped inside of his body.

Luffy found himself standing beside his First Mate, watching his chest rise and fall slowly with a pint of beer in each hand. He had already tried getting Zoro to drink some earlier in the night and received a prompt beating from both Nami and Chopper because of his foolishness. He could only whine that Zoro was always drinking so why wouldn’t he think alcohol would make him feel better. He was chased to the other side of the hall after that last remark.

The night wasn’t a total bummer without Zoro, though. He had found another crewmate and finally they had a musician! One more member and their crew would be complete. The thought made Luffy hum with excitement, but for the moment, his attention was right where he needed it to be.

Setting the pint by Zoro’s head, Luffy propped himself onto the bed next to him and knocked back his own, grimacing at the taste of it. He didn’t drink often, but when the time was right he was happy to kick back a few drinks. Zoro had good taste too, likely having consumed more alcohol than the whole crew combined. Somehow he always knew what Luffy would dislike the least among their selection of liquor and because of that intuition they had yet to have a bad time together.

Now though, Luffy was the only one drinking, and that was certainly a first. Everyone else had passed out under the tables or on top of them, the rest heaped in piles together on the floor. There were a few stragglers stumbling in from outside, but Luffy didn’t pay them any attention. Instead, he bent down and touched his lips to one of the swordsman’s bruised cheeks. It wasn’t a genuine “get-well” kiss if he couldn’t get down to the person’s face, so Luffy compromised in the situation.

Zoro didn’t budge an inch and Luffy frowned, wishing Makino’s secret technique worked instantaneously. His heart was pacified for the moment though and he could rest easy knowing he would be there to protect his nakama next time. It helped that Zoro would be there beside him like always.

And then there was a time when his kisses wouldn’t work no matter how hard he wanted them to.

“A-Ace… what…” Luffy stuttered, at a loss for words as shock took hold of his heart. Ace smiled weakly, clutching at his baby brother with the last remnants of his strength. “No… no no no… Ace… Ace you need a doctor,” Luffy sobbed, tears welling up in his eyes. He bit back a cry, holding onto Ace desperately. His brother wasn’t as warm as he used to be, something that frightened the young Captain tremendously, as if all the other signs weren’t pointing to the same conclusion.

“Don’t die, Ace!” he whispered hoarsely, wrenching his eyes shut and briefly registering a doctor rush to their side from Ace’s crew. The breath caught in his throat however, when he looked at the state their hotheaded Commander had been left in. Luffy’s desperation hit a peak when not even Iva-chan was willing to help. A random thought flew into his mind, and Luffy gave into his desires, knowing it was the best that he could do on his own. He kissed Ace’s cheek, and his forehead. He kissed his nose and the corner of his mouth, over his eyelids and back to the side of his face.

“Don’t be silly, Lu… Makino’s kisses only work after you’ve been patched up,” Ace sighed with a harsh chuckle that sounded more like rough wheezing than actual laughter. “Listen up, cause I can’t talk any louder for them to hear. Tell everyone…” Luffy struggled to hold in his tears long enough to hear what he knew was going to be the last thing that ever came out of Ace’s lips.

“Even though I’m worthless…” Luffy kissed him again, desperate to mend anything, even a worn heart. “Even though I carry the blood of a demon…” both of them were crying now. Luffy losing what little hold he had of his composure when Ace’s voice hitched for reasons unrelated to the hole in his chest. “... thank you for loving me!”

Ace’s body went limp then, the blood coating both of them making it easy for him to slip out of Luffy’s trembling arms. The rubberman jolted out of shock long enough to realize he had let Ace slide right through his fingers and was too slow to catch him before his body struck the ground, lifeless.

Luffy’s heart splintered into a thousand pieces when Ace’s blood started pooling underneath him. His indomitable spirit, that which drove him to chase his dream to be a King and to be free, shattered with it. The whole world stood still for just a moment, long enough for Ace’s death, and all of its implications, to set in. Luffy’s broken cries brought reality crashing back down around their heads and the war dragged on without him.

A much younger Luffy, one who wasn’t yet burdened by the severity of life, tried to smother his incessant giggling with both rubbery hands.

“Luffy! You need to hold still,” Makino scolded him gently with a purse of her lips. The little imp bit his lip and sat up straight, holding his arms up so Makino could finish wrapping the bandages around his stomach. Her nimble fingers ghosting over his skin tickled and he couldn’t help that he was super sensitive to them. He laughed out loud again when she brushed against his ribs.

“Makino! It tickles! I can’t sit here and let you torture me!” he cried, barely managing to hold himself still. She smiled at him and carried on, careful to wrap the wound on his side tightly. Ace and Sabo had insisted that Luffy go first, even though Ace was still bleeding from a cut on his forehead and Sabo had a sizable gash in his arm. Luffy tried to make Sabo go first but the young gentleman refused, both he and Ace teasing the youngest until he had no choice but to step up and be examined.

“How about this, Luffy. If you manage to stay still until I’m done, I’ll give you a present,” Makino offered. He gasped and nearly shot to his feet before remembering the conditions of their deal and slumping down on the barstool again.

“What kind of present, Makino? Is it meat?” he asked excitedly with bright shining eyes that she hoped would never dull. She hummed aloud and put a finger on her chin so Luffy would believe she was thinking real hard about what to give him.

“Nope! It’s not meat, but I still think you’ll like it, Luffy. You’ll just have to wait and see,” she said cheerfully. Ace and Sabo were muttering in the corner about what it could possibly be. After observing how obedient their slippery little brother was being with Makino, they started planning out schemes of how to use his gullibility to their advantage. They had all gotten injured trying to rescue Luffy from the stomach of another alligator, this one tougher than the usual victims and extra determined to keep the rubber boy in his gut.

“There! I’m all done. Great job Luffy, I’m proud of you,” she said with a smile, making the little pirate beam up at her. He jumped to his feet on the stool and wiggled with excitement.

“What’s my present, Makino?? You promised! What is it?” he asked eagerly, much to her amusement. She loved their visits because of the youthful energy that followed the three troublemakers everywhere. That aura reminded her that they were still children and though some of the innocence had already been stripped out of the older boys, they could smile and laugh just as sweetly as Luffy could.

“Close your eyes, Luffy,” she asked, and Ace and Sabo scuttled out of the corner to see what Makino had chosen to bribe him with. Luffy did as he was told and clenched his eyes shut, vibrating with excitement. Makino giggled and leaned in, tilting his hat out of his face and planting a gentle kiss right on his forehead. Ace and Sabo both felt their cheeks redden with embarrassment and surprise. Luffy’s eyes popped open and he giggled holding a hand over where she had kissed.

“What was that, Makino?” he asked easily. She fixed his hat and sat back on her own stool.

“A get-well kiss! Good patients who sit still through their treatments deserve get-well kisses to make them heal faster! I guarantee you’ll feel good as new if you behave like you did for me when your big brothers have to help you change your bandages,” she pointed out, face completely devoid of the laughter she was trying to hold back at the sight of Luffy’s widening eyes.

“But Makino, what if you’re not there to give me get-well kisses? You can’t come with us back to our treehouse, there aren’t any girls allowed up there!” he exclaimed worriedly. Makino didn’t hold back the next burst of laughter and saw an answer in the flushed faces of her next victims.

“Don’t worry, Luffy. I’ll teach your brothers how to give you get-well kisses so they can help you and then I’ll teach you so you can help them feel better. How does that sound?” she asked sweetly. Ace and Sabo were about to fall over onto each other when Luffy grinned in response.

“That’ll be great! Sabo! Ace! It’s your turn to get wrapped up like mummies! And then me and Makino get to give you kisses!” he cheered, much to their dread.

“Who wants to go next?” the positively evil woman asked with a deceptive softness in her voice. Sabo was not ashamed to admit that he shoved Ace into Makino and condemned him to an early death by humiliation. He was trying to escape the same fate by climbing out a window in the back storeroom when Luffy pounced on him and sent them both tumbling to the floor.

Ace was there soon after, he only had a minor cut to get taped up, with a deep red blush that traveled all the way to the tips of his ears. Sabo would swear that he saw the spot high on his cheek where Makino had kissed his brother, even though she wasn’t wearing any kind of lipstick.

“Where do you think you’re going,  _ Sabo _ ?” he ground out, scruffing the back of Sabo’s jacket and dragging him forcefully back into the bar to receive some of Makino’s loving care.

It was shortly after he woke up that he remembered how terribly he had failed. Luffy tore through the dark ship, scattering people he had never seen before on the grass when he plummeted back to the earth. After a brief rampage through the dense forests, he was met with a strong force that was unrelenting against his weak, battered body.

“Stop thinking about what you’ve lost! Think about what you still have left!” Jinbei thundered, glowering at Luffy’s stricken face as he finally stilled with his back pressed against a large boulder that had narrowly escaped being smashed to pieces.

The dark haze creeping into Luffy’s mind abated little by little as he thought of what was still there. Jinbei let go of his throat seeing as the fight had finally left his exhausted body. He slid down onto the grass with his back pressed up against the sturdy rock as if it was there to help ground him.

Luffy saw his hands, wrapped in ragged bandages and not dripping with his brother’s blood. His eyes began to burn and he saw his crewmates through salty, stinging tears. One by one he conjured up their faces in his mind and heard their voices ringing out clear as day to push the negativity away from the sunshine that normally filled his mind.

“I still have my crew!” he said hoarsely, voice still strained from so much screaming. Jinbei nodded, relieved that Luffy had finally had a breakthrough. He would protect Luffy with his life, and right now, the young pirate still needed protection from himself.

A warm breeze brushed over his shoulders, making him pause. Jinbei could feel that they were far enough inland that the wind on the beach wouldn’t reach them. He heard Ace’s voice murmuring something he couldn’t quite make out, and his eyes blew wide, looking around the clearing for a friend that he knew wouldn’t be there.

Luffy was oblivious to Jinbei’s surprise, still trying to draw himself out of despair. A familiar warmth settled around him like an invisible coat, nothing but comforting heat to chase away the cold. He looked up just in time to feel something press against his cheek where there weren’t any bandages in the way. As quickly as they had come, both sensations were gone. Luffy knew without a doubt who it was.

He held a hand over his face and dried the last of his tears. His brother was watching, and telling him that it was time to move on. Luffy had his own dreams, and his own crew to get back to. He would have to get stronger if he ever hoped to protect everyone precious to him. Ace would be there at his side, watching and loving him, even though he was the same weak cry baby he tried so hard not to be.

When Sabo appeared on the other side of the door leading into Kyros’ quaint little cottage, the whole room was surprised. Robin smiled at him and rose to wake their snoozing Captain, but Sabo waved her off and stepped around Usopp to sit beside his brother. The bed dipped under his weight and Luffy grumbled in his sleep, head lolling to the side.

Sabo smiled at his baby brother and engaged with the rest of his crew, glancing over every now and then to make sure Luffy hadn’t gone anywhere while his eyes weren’t glued to him. It had happened before, all it took was an instant and he would be off causing trouble somewhere else. Sabo knew that without his memories he wouldn’t have even known to look for his brothers, and shouldn’t feel guilty about those long years. Despite that, he could feel the regret settle deep in his bones and no matter what happened in the future, he would always remember not being there for Ace and Luffy at Marineford.

The only good thing that came out of the time they had spent apart was that he had grown strong, and he would never regret that. Sabo swore that he would be there for his baby brother, whenever and wherever he needed him from the moment his eyes snapped open and consciousness opened a floodgate of the memories he needed, regardless of how much they hurt. Ace wasn't around to watch Luffy’s back anymore, and Sabo was long overdue to pick up the slack. He wouldn’t be so helpless ever again.

The fire in Sabo’s veins warmed him of its own volition when they were done sharing stories and vivre cards. As he rose to leave, Sabo couldn’t help but grin, brushing a hand through Luffy’s soft black locks before bending over and leaning in close. Luffy’s crewmates and allies were watching, but he was beyond caring. He and Luffy had done their little ritual growing up, and it was the perfect opportunity to revisit a happy memory of his childhood.

Sabo’s lips met Luffy’s forehead for a chaste moment of contact that meant so much more before he could rest their heads together for a moment longer than that. Standing up straight, he placed his hat back on and bowed to those in the room who were still awake to see him go.

“Thank you for taking care of my little brother. I’m sure he’s been a handful, but I leave him to you,” he said, letting the door fall shut behind him. Back in the cottage, a smile had tugged up at the corner of Luffy’s mouth and he happily mumbled a name that once was too hard for him to even think about saying.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Leave a kudos or a comment and tell me what you think!


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